Truck Carrying Returning Afghan Refugees Crashes, Killing 22 in Eastern Afghanistan 

At least 22 people were killed after a truck carrying refugees returning from Pakistan overturned in Afghanistan, according to local authorities. The vehicle was transporting passengers through a mountainous area when the crash occurred. Several others were injured and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Officials are investigating the cause of the accident, though poor road conditions and vehicle overloading are often factors in such incidents. The tragedy highlights the dangers faced by refugees traveling across Afghanistan amid ongoing humanitarian and transportation challenges. 

KABUL — A truck carrying Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan overturned on a highway in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing at least 22 people and injuring about 36 others, officials said.

The crash occurred in Laghman province along the main highway connecting Kabul with neighboring Nangarhar province, according to Abdul Malik Niazai, spokesperson for the provincial governor.

Among those killed were 10 children and five women, highlighting the heavy toll on families making the journey back to Afghanistan. The injured were transported to hospitals in Nangarhar for treatment.

Aminullah Sharif, the province’s director of public health, said preliminary findings indicate the driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing the truck to veer off the road and plunge into a ditch.

The passengers were among the growing number of Afghans returning from Pakistan following Islamabad’s crackdown on undocumented migrants that began in 2023. Since then, Pakistani authorities have deported or pressured large numbers of Afghans to leave the country. Iran has also stepped up expulsions of Afghan migrants in recent years.

Millions of Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran since the campaigns began, including many who were born and raised abroad after their families spent decades living and working in neighboring countries.

In a separate incident, officials in the eastern province of Nuristan said a vehicle plunged into a river Friday night after leaving the roadway. The driver was injured, while four passengers remain missing. Rescue teams were continuing search operations on Saturday.

Road accidents remain a persistent problem in Afghanistan, where aging infrastructure, poorly maintained roads and limited enforcement of traffic regulations contribute to frequent deadly crashes.

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Source: NDTV

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